2017 Associate Awards
at Pine Run
The sun was shining and a warm breeze was blowing as dozens of Pine Run Associates gathered to attend a picnic lunch, to celebrate their on-going service to residents in the form of this year’s Associate Appreciation Awards.
“The ‘Angel’ Awards were created to recognize people for doing the right things for all the right reasons,” explained Senior Director of Human Resources, Terrance Randolph. “At Pine Run, we think it is important to focus on the good that is all around us, and the Awards were created to honor specific ‘good deeds’ carried out by our employees as they go about performing their daily work routines.”
Recipients of the coveted awards were nominated for their noteworthy “Good Deeds”:
Janice Mullaney –
Dining Hostess at Lakeview (15 years)
Janice has been generously giving gifts to the residents of The Arbor (Secure Memory Care at Lakeview) during the Christmas holidays for many years. This past Christmas, her gift to the residents was an electronic device called an Echo Dot, more popularly known as ALEXA. ALEXA sits on the mantel in The Arbor and patiently awaits ‘orders from the residents’ to give the weather forecast, tell a funny joke, or answer random questions on almost ANY conceivable topic.
“Thanks to Janice, the residents in The Arbor are now a part of the technical revolution and have found a new friend in ALEXA,” adds Barbara Dumas, RN, Senior Administrator at Lakeview.
Andrea Kashner –
Social Worker at Pine Run Health Center (2 years)
Making people feel at ease is what Andrea does, day in and day out. She does it with a calm demeanor and a big, beautiful smile. As a Social Worker at Pine Run’s Health Center, Andrea’s daily roles include advocate, friend and listener, yet she is also charged with being the ‘voice of reason,’ a sometimes challenging task when ‘reason’ represents discussing issues that are often difficult to accept.
“Andrea is responsible for making and implementing recommendations on a daily basis, often to our frailest residents and their families. She performs this delicate task with a calm demeanor, unfailing compassion and tremendous kindness. Even as her residents lose independence, Andrea sees the essence of their being and focuses on who they once were, as well as who they are now,” proudly states Julie Kozak, Director of Social Services at Pine Run Health Center.
Cindy Reynolds –
Housekeeper at Pine Run Health Center (8 years)
“Cindy not only cleans with the efficiency of three people, she does it with a smile! While performing her housekeeping duties on the 3rd floor of the Health Center, Cindy is also carefully observing and thoughtfully listening to her residents’ concerns.
“Residents freely share their challenges and their wishes and desires with her,” states Julie Kozak, Director of Social Services at Pine Run Health Center. “Cindy’s warmth and caring, combined with her kind words and compassionate nature have helped many Health Center residents more easily adjust to their new surroundings. For over eight years, as she is performing her daily housekeeping duties, she also seems to find just the right moment to offer a kind word or a big hug. Cindy is often able to gain considerable insight through her frequent, casual meetings with the residents on her floor, and by sharing their ‘feedback’ is often able to facilitate changes that prove beneficial to both the residents and the staff.”
“Cindy’s quiet manner and perceptive insight, gleaned while listening to her ‘friends,’ as she performs her daily duties, have proven immensely valuable to both the staff and the residents,” notes Julie.
“I can sometimes ‘connect the dots’ as we chat while I’m performing my housekeeping tasks. It’s impossible not to become attached to the residents I see every week, and I truly want to help enhance their lives here at Pine Run. I am their advocate, their friend, and I am always available to help with their concerns. I give my residents a second set of eyes and an ears,” shares Cindy.
Teresa Sawyer – Resident Care Assistant at Lakeview (2 years)
Teresa Sawyer works the twilight shift at Lakeview. Her passion, her playfulness and her affection for the residents under her care in The Arbor (Secure Memory Care) led her to create and coordinate a holiday surprise that was destined to become a yearly tradition.
Last Christmas, Teresa decided that each of her resident’s doors should be decorated for the holidays with a ‘theme’ created to match each resident’s unique personality and individuality. Teresa worked tirelessly with her Lakeview associates and residents’ family members to ensure that every door was transformed into a holiday wonderland, befitting the folks who lived inside.
“The residents in The Arbor are like family to me; I love each one of them, and although I have only been with them for two years, they are all very special people to me. I want to make a difference in their lives,” says Teresa, “because they all have a special place in my heart.”
“Arbor residents were both surprised and delighted when their decorated doors were completed. Each ‘creation’ was uniquely personalized to identify with the resident who lived inside,” enthused Barbara Dumas, RN, Senior Administrator at Lakeview.
Linda Thomson –
Sales Director, Independent Living, Pine Run Village (35 years)
Linda has dedicated 35 years to promoting Independent Living sales at Pine Run. During her years of service, she has learned that the journey from initial contact to move in is never a straight line.
Twelve years ago, in 2005, Linda met Jim and Catherine Delsordo during a campus tour. They forged a special bond in 2010, when Linda sent a bottle of beer home to Jim, when he was unable to attend the ‘Bucks County Tavern’ event with his wife, and when Jim died suddenly a few years ago, it was Linda who urged Catherine to move ahead with their plans to move into The Village.
“While visiting with Catherine to assist with the move-in transition, Linda learned that a potential buyer was refusing to finalize the sale due to a home inspection. Lacking family support, Catherine was uncertain what to do next, but Linda, along with the help of her husband, Pat, stepped in to provide the support Catherine needed to help complete her home sale,” shares Barbara Chierici, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing.
“Linda didn’t think twice about pitching in; it’s what she does,” says Barbara. “She just took charge and did what had to be done to lift some of the load from Catherine’s shoulders! Linda arranged for a moving company to pack, move and unpack the household items Catherine would be bringing to Pine Run. She and Pat made three different trips, on their own time, to bring the personal items that Catherine would not trust to the moving company, to her new home.”
“I love what I do. I love my Pine Run family – the residents, my coworkers; I even met my husband here, years ago. Moving into a retirement community can be overwhelming at times, so I try to ease the burden. I just wouldn’t be happy doing things any other way,” beams Linda.
Click here to read about Pine Run’s 2017 5-Star Winner!
5-Star Award
Nancy Winthrop,
Lakeview Life Enrichment
The 5 Star Award winner exemplifies the
Make Their Day!
service philosophy and is an outstanding associate who shines throughout the year.
Angel Awards
Majnushe (Maja) Celo,
The Garden Housekeeping
*
Andrea Kashner,
Social Services
Janice Mullaney,
Lakeview Dining Services
Gus Munkenbeck,
Health Center Nursing
*
Cindy Reynolds,
Health Center Housekeeping
Teresa Sawyer,
Lakeview Resident Care
Linda Thomson,
Village Sales
Florencio Velazquez,
Village Housekeeping
*not pictured
The Angel Award recipients have the courage to do what’s right even though it may be difficult. It is awarded for a single event in which the Associate did a superior job requiring extraordinary effort.
Achievement Awards
The Achievement Award recipients have completed an educational milestone – diploma, certification, degree, certificate or completed an educational program. Thirty-eight associates earned Achievement Awards in 2017. (Visit our pages again in July for inspiring stories about some of our graduates!)
They say that ‘Angels walk among us, if only we have eyes to see’… Obviously at Pine Run you don’t have to look very hard – Angels are everywhere; humbly going about their daily jobs, seeking no special recognition as they brighten the lives of all they meet. Pine Run is honored to recognize the newest batch of ‘heaven sent’ associates.
2017 Angel Awards
at Pine Run
Click on any image to enlarge.
